In Plain Sight
by Viren Jalkun
Summary: After the death of Ren's mother she must face many challenges life throws at her. Will she find refuge with the X-Men..? Or will the darker side of humanity drive her to insanity? T for language and mild Violence. Reviews please :


Wrote this today after getting the idea. Hope any readers enjoy it. I am gonna do some work on the what I have done and add more.  
Love all my viewers! :3 ~Viren  
P.S. Chapter one is still a work in progress.

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**Escape**

The screeching came to a sudden halt, the alarm silenced by a green tinged hand. The pile of blankets upon the bed shifted, the form of a teenage girl rising from the mess. Her hair spiked up messily from the restless night, the dark mossy green of it reflecting in the slowly rising sun. She stretched and yawned, looking sleepily across her room, her eyes finally resting upon the door. She sighed, glaring at the thing she hated so much. She rose from the bed, striding across the room in three easy bounds. She ran her finger across the smooth metal of the door, slamming her fist against the thing in defeat.

A tear slipped from her eye, tired of fighting off the wave of despair. It had been about three months since her mother's death… And every minute of it has been a hell. She thumped her head against the door, running her hands through her pixie cut. _I hate you… I swear upon my entire being that this will not be the end… _She glared grimly ahead and wiped away her tears; she was done feeling sorry for herself… This shall not be her prison any longer. She pulled herself up, walking to the center of the room, her mind set.

Weeks seemed to meld into months, each day more rewarding then the last. Her only interaction with her 'Guardian' were that of having food shoved through a small metal flap twice daily, her Aunt not giving any other recognition to the thing that lived within the room. She looked down at her body, muscles shifting beneath her jogging clothes. She nodded, looking at the door and deciding now was the time to act. She walked to the center of the room, lifting her face to the sunrays that fell down from the skylight at least 10 feet above.

Energy pulsed through her veins, a grin of joy taking over her face. It had been so long since she had felt… So long since she allowed the world in. She crouched down, as if a cheetah about to pounce, then uncoiled her muscles. She felt the energy collect in her calves, her body soaring up to the skylight, her fist easily shattering the glass of the large window. Glass sparkled around her, solar power soaking into her now that the boundaries of her room were removed.

She landed lightly upon the roof, her feet muffled due to the lack of shoes. She did not have much that truly belonged to her. Her Aunt had made sure of that. She looked down into the room, the vile woman slamming open the metal door, a shotgun in hand. "Where are you? You effing brat!" The woman looked up, seeing the face of her captive staring down at her. The shotgun was leveled at the Mutant but the teen was long gone by then. She sailed across rooftops, a grin across her face, all worries forgotten for the time being. She was free! Finally after all this time! She laughed triumphantly, jumping down from one rooftop, aiming her leap almost perfectly as she glided into the top of a tree.

She curled up amongst the branches, looking down through the foliage. She seemed to have come to a park of some sort, many kids playing tag in a nearby field. She looked on at the scene, looking across the field to the picnic area. She sniffed the air, a slight breeze drifting the smell of lunch to her. Her stomach growled hungrily having escaped confinement not long before lunch… She guessed it must be at least one or two in the afternoon. She climbed to the edge of the branches that would hold her, only a few leaves blowing freely across the field evidence of her passage. She soared through the trees, not once touching the ground.

She smiled up at the stars tinkling above, patting her stomach contently. Snatching the food she had needed was easy, just simply grabbing the wanted morsels when a picnicker was distracted and that was that. Jumping from tree branches to the ground was becoming second nature already. She trailed her hand against the bark beneath her, a discarded picnic quilt her pillow. She nestled her head down more comfortably in the quilt, letting her mind slip into its fitful sleep.

The world blurred into life, voices whispered below waking the girl. She peeked down below her, gasping as she found two figures looking up at him. "It's awake…" His voice carried to her easily, her senses much more advanced than normal humans, "But what exactly IS it…?" The other man down below shrugged. A flashlight shined up at her, making her squint. "Uhm… Could you please come down from the tree?" She looked down at the two, fear in her eyes but she made her voice come out clear and strong, "Why should I trust you?" The men glanced at each other, surprise flashing in their eyes.  
"We mean you know harm. We are park rangers. It's just… People aren't really supposed to be climbing the trees… Let alone sleep in them." The more verbal of the two lowered the flashlight from her face, taking a few steps back from the tree, gesturing to his partner to follow. She thudded gently onto the grass, stepping back from the men, looking them up and down.

"Uhm… I am Ranger Rick… Ironic I know, and this is my assistant Heinrich." The name rolled clumsily off Rick's tongue, the man clearly not of foreign roots. "Who are you…?" He smiled gently at the girl, Heinrich seeming immersed in taking in the oddity of this strange creature before him.  
"I-I'm Ren…" She scuffed her toes in the grass, looking at the men's feet bashfully. "Well Ren, I am sure your parents are worried sick. Do you live around here?" She bit her lip, knowing the man was just trying to be kindly… He was doing a good job giving the circumstances. "No… My mom passed on…" He nodded at this, stepping forward, holding out his work coat. "Are you cold…?"

She sipped tentatively at the cup of hot cocoa, her eyes roaming over all that was inside the small Park Rangers office. Her feet swung mere inches above the ground, her not yet being tall enough to reach the carpeting of the office. She smiled, sipping up a mini marshmallow, the sugary puff melting in her mouth. Rick stood at his Desk, starring out the window as he had a hushed conversation on the phone. He had tried to learn as much about Ren as he could on the ride back here, diverging enough to know what had transpired since her mother's death, that being about all she was up to telling. He was beyond appalled that anyone could treat another human in such a way. Yes, he was a little freaked by the girl at first, but she grew on him quickly.

He hung up the phone, slamming it down on the receiver harder then he intended, getting a quizzical glance from Ren. "Is everything okay…?" She stopped swinging her feet, frowning. She didn't wish to be a bother. Rick sighed, rubbing his temples to try and calm himself. "I am trying to find a safe place for you… Almost every agency I have called refuses to get involved once I mention… Your uhm, condition…" He slammed his fist down, his own mug slopping its contents onto the desk. He starred at it for a moment, emotionless then shrugged as the coffee stained the papers laying there. "Nothing overly important." He mumbled under his breath. Ren looked at the door, Heinrich's head poking through the doorway. "I have the stuff sir…" Ren grinned, loving the man's accent.

The first time he had spoken was in the truck on the way here, finally gaining enough courage to talk to Ren directly. He had explained how he had moved here from France, and that he still had troubles understanding much of the strange American customs. Sleeping in trees seemed to be one of those things added to his list. Ren shook her head, taking her mind back to the present. Heinrich set a backpack down at Ren's feet, the thing stuffed with clothing that had been left at the Park. She slid off her seat, opening the bag. She squealed in delight, holding up one article of clothing after another. There were two sweaters, both a little overly girly but would do, a pair of black converses, two pairs of socks, a few shirts and some pants and shorts. She stuffed it all back into the pack then hugged the large bag to her. "Thank you both so much…"

Ren looked up at the rising sun, returning her eyes back to the patrol car that was parked right behind the Rangers truck. The cop stood next to his cruiser, aviators obscuring his eyes. He held a hushed conversation with Rick, casting glances at the petite girl every now and again. She ignored his pointed glances, gazing at the beautiful mountains that rose up in the distance. The sun peeked over them, casting the sky in beautiful cotton candy pinks and sherbet oranges.


End file.
